The Fisher Center Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Program
The Fisher Center Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Program at NYU Langone Health
Bridging laboratory discoveries with real-world patient care — designing and conducting early-phase clinical trials that translate findings from preclinical models into treatments for people living with Alzheimer's disease.
Martin Sadowski, MD, PhD
The Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Professor in Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Co-Director of the Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Research program at NYU School of Medicine
Director of the Fisher Center Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Program at NYU Langone Health
Launched in 2024 through a partnership between the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and NYU Langone Health, the Fisher Center Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Program is led by Martin Sadowski, MD, PhD, the inaugural Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Professor of Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease.
The Fisher Center Program aims to advance research into new Alzheimer’s treatments by bridging laboratory discoveries with real-world patient care. At NYU Langone Health, Dr. Sadowski and his team focus on carefully designed early-phase clinical trials that bring promising therapies from preclinical models into testing with patients, with the ultimate goal of finding treatments that slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Developing new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease is an extraordinary undertaking. From early-stage discovery to final regulatory approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the process can cost upward of $1.5 billion. And once a new drug reaches patients, many more questions need—and often fail—to be answered, such as:
- Could an approved drug prevent the disease if administered earlier?
- How might a drug work in combination therapy, rather than isolation?
- How do different subgroups of patients respond to the same treatment?
These questions are rarely addressed in trials sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry—but they are essential for turning new drugs into effective, individualized treatments for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Fisher Center Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Program was created to fill this critical gap.
A New Model for Clinical Research
Unlike most clinical studies sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, the Fisher Center Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Program will focus on investigator-initiated trials—research designed and driven by physician-scientists to explore how existing drugs may be used to address clinical questions centered around the needs of patients. This approach allows for flexibility, innovation, and investigation of treatment strategies that extend far beyond FDA approval.
Today, the Fisher Center Program supports 18 active clinical trials dedicated to patient-focused treatment inquiries, as well as 10 additional trials in start-up phase poised to expand the program’s reach. Its main areas of inquiry include:
- Early intervention: Testing whether approved drugs can prevent Alzheimer’s when administered to people with presymptomatic disease.
- Combination therapies: Evaluating drugs that may be ineffective alone but promising in tandem.
- Personalized treatment: Studying how different patient subgroups respond to specific therapies.
- Novel applications: Exploring innovative treatment protocols that reimagine how existing drugs can be used in clinical practice.
At its core, the Fisher Center Program aspires to redefine the trajectory of clinical research. Instead of moving solely “from bench to bedside,” it begins at the bedside, with the needs of real patients guiding the direction of discovery. With sustained support, the program aims not only to bridge the gap between drug development and clinical care, but to place patients at the very center of Alzheimer’s research.
